Racing the Fire
by sensual-irish
Summary: KeisukexOC. He's bored with his recent opponents, as well as life in general; that is, until a girl moves into the area who is unlike any other girl he's met before. Can he handle the fire that is Suki, or will they both get burnt?
1. Scene 1

**A/N: All righty there folks! Irish here, just for those of you who haven't read any of my stories before. Just so you know, this story is written for my own amusement because I had an idea in my head that just wouldn't go away. I'm not sure how long this is going to be, or even maybe how short, but never fear, I will update. I have two kids that demand much of my attention, so I say ahead of time: "gomen nasai" for any huge break between updates. Please enjoy, and if you wouldn't mind clicking the little review button at the bottom, that'd be awesome.**

**Xx**

**Irish**

(\ /)

(·_·)

Keisuke Takahashi drove down Akagi's mountain pass lazily, the spring weather perfect for a long drive to nowhere. Since Project D had finished, and he and Takumi had started their own team, the pressure to dominate had lessened. He would be the first to admit it if anyone asked, but he was getting slightly bored. Takumi was still the only racer he couldn't beat, and all of the other drivers that challenged them just wanted to try and beat the team members that took the top spots in Japan. Their skill level wasn't worth his time. He needed something fresh, something unexpected to happen before he decided to bash his head off the steering wheel a few times.

The RS-X was handling well today, even for just a pleasure cruise. Keisuke sighed as he approached the first of the S-curves on the downhill, wishing that he was racing the course instead. His mind wandered to the blow-out he'd had with Kyoko last week. She persisted in pursuing him, even after his initial "no" concerning Project D.

"_Keisuke, you aren't in Project D anymore, so you don't need to dedicate yourself quite so much. Why are you still turning me away?" Kyoko had pleaded._

_Keisuke had sighed, scrubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "Look Kyoko, originally it was because of Project D, yes, but now, I'm not sure that I even want to date anyone. I have yet to accomplish my goal, and until I do that, I really can't focus on anything else."_

"_You're just making up excuses, Keisuke! If you don't want to be with me, tell me up front, because excuses will just make me wait for you. It's unfair! Tell me the truth!"_

"_I don't want to date you, Kyoko."_

"_I hate you."_

"_I know." He couldn't tell her that it hurt him too._

Kyoko wouldn't have understood his reasoning. Yes, he liked her, and she was a good racer, but she was the same as any other Japanese girl. She would soon get sick of his impatient personality and he would tire of her neediness. He resurfaced from the memory and shook off the thoughts of the girl who would have given him everything. The sound of a turbo caught his attention and he glanced in his rearview mirror.

Keisuke's eyes widened in surprise as he took in the vehicle behind him. It was a Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T, nineteen ninety-six if he were to gamble. Good thing he never gambled unless he knew he would win. The car was painted a lilac color, a design on the hood in a darker purple that he couldn't quite make out yet. He snorted. Definitely a chick car. No self-respecting man would own _anything_ in that color. She was gaining on him fast, and Keisuke wondered idly if she would be the next person to challenge either himself or Takumi. Either way, he'd give her a little taste ahead of time. Nothing ticked him off more than getting passed.

He stepped on the gas, downshifting and swinging into the corner. Too slow for a true drift yet, but the power slide worked well enough for now. The next corner came quicker, and Keisuke threw himself at it, the Eclipse only seconds behind. To his surprise, when she was about only fifteen centimeters from his bumper, she stopped gaining. What was the point in that? He knew it wasn't that she couldn't catch up, as he was only going at about seventy percent, so what was she thinking? Keisuke sped up slightly. The Mitsubishi stayed with him, still that aggravating fifteen centimeters separating the cars.

They drifted the rest of the way down the hill like that, side-by-side in the drifts, perfectly in sync. At the bottom of the mountain, the GS-T flashed it's headlights at him. Keisuke assumed the driver wanted to talk to him, so he stopped at the next pullover. The GS-T pulled up next to him and parked, Keisuke got out, curious despite himself. What he expected though, was totally blown out of the water by reality.

The young woman that emerged from the car was petite, possibly topping off at 157 centimeters, but that wasn't what caught his attention. Her skin was the palest he'd ever seen, like porcelain, and her hair light auburn waves to the middle of her back. The girl had large almond eyes, possible Asian ancestry there, but were a brilliant shade of blue. Was she a foreigner?

"Ohayo gozaimasu," she greeted with a short bow. "You have a wonderful drifting technique, may I ask your name?"

It took Keisuke a second to respond. Her speech had a slight accent to it, although fluent, he was sure Japanese was not her first language. "I am Keisuke Takahashi."

She smiled at him. He noticed her teeth were brilliantly white and straight, probably due to cosmetic dentistry. His brother was better analyzing people than he was, but he had some observance skills. "My name is Suki O'Malley. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Keisuke murmured the appropriate response before he asked, "Are you a foreigner? Your accent is strange, and you don't look Japanese."

Suki laughed lightly. "And mother was always telling me about how reserved the Japanese were. Isn't that question kind of rude according to Japanese society?" Keisuke blushed lightly, she was right, but then again, he had never exactly been polite. She continued before he could respond. "I'm half-Japanese. My father was Irish American and married my mother while in the military. He died last year, so Mom decided to move back here to Gunma where she grew up. I'm not very reserved myself, since I grew up in America. I hope you'll forgive my forwardness."

Keisuke nodded, but was secretly refreshed with her brazen attitude. Too many girls would have blushed and looked away, rather than leaning on the hood of their car with an amused smile on their face. Hadn't he just been think about this before she showed up in his rearview mirror? Strange coincidence.

"Sorry to bother you, but I hope I see you up here again sometime!" Suki jumped into her car and sped off into town, Keisuke standing where she had left him and feeling slightly shell-shocked. What a strange girl, he thought. But if she was going to be living here in Gunma, it would be hard to miss that unique GS-T.

(\ /)

(·_·)

Suki sang along with the radio as she drove through Gunma at a reasonable pace. When her mother had told her a month ago that she was moving to Japan, Suki had been devastated. First her father died, and then her mother was moving across an entire ocean. Being an adult had seemed horrible for the first time since she turned eighteen.

That first night after her mother left, Suki was at her apartment, sorting through her clothes to store her winter sweaters when the idea had struck. The next day, she had drained her bank account, called her uncle in Gunma, and put all her belongings in storage. All but her car, which she had shipped to her destination. She had bought it from someone in Japan anyway, as well as paying for it to be imported and street legal, so getting it back into it's original country had been a piece of cake.

So now, here she was, working in her uncle's shop, living in a one room apartment and almost totally broke. But she liked her new town, and her mother was close by, so Suki was content. Pulling up in front of her uncle's shop, she pulled the emergency brake and slid noisily into the parking space beside the building. Her cousin must be out with his car.

Entering the shop, she called out, "Uncle! I'm back from the delivery! What else do you have for me to do?"

Her uncle came through the doorway separating the shop from the living area. "I heard you pull in," he grunted. "America wasn't such a good teacher in subtlety, I guess."

Suki laughed and grabbed an apron, tying it securely around her waist. "It's because I'm so enthusiastic about my car. I've been like that since I bought it. You can't blame a girl for liking to drive, can you Uncle Bunta?" He just grunted in answer, lighting a cigarette and exiting the front door.

(\ /)

(·_·)

**Dum dum dah! Next chapter up soon!**


	2. Scene 2

**A/N: Hello again! The inspiration fairy visited me this morning, so I just had to get this posted before I went to bed. Enjoy!**

**xx**

**Irish**

(\ /)

**(·_·)**

Takumi walked into the family shop, surprised to see his cousin carefully cutting blocks of tofu. When she heard his approach she called out, "Welcome to Fujiwara Tofu Shop, I'll be with you in a moment!"

"No hurry, little cousin," Takumi replied, highly amused. At the sound of his voice, Suki whipped around, a grin lighting her features. She squealed in delight as she carefully set down the knife and tofu, then launching herself into his waiting arms.

"Takumi! I've missed you so much. Wow, you've grown!" Suki stood back and pretended to measure him. "You must be pretty popular with the girls around here, what with your height and good looks. Not to mention the racing status." She nudged him playfully with her elbow.

Takumi laughed and ruffled her hair. "You are still far too American in your attitude. Didn't your mother teach you anything about Japanese restraint?"

"Not a damn thing," Suki replied cheerfully. "Anyway, I'm off tonight, and it's my first official night to explore. Want to hang out with your little cousin for a bit?"

"I would, but I have a race tonight against some kids from Tokyo. You can come up the mountain with me if you want, but you'll have to wait with the galleries until I'm done."

"Aw, that is so sweet, Takumi. I can drive myself, my car arrived at about the same time as me. I'd love to watch you race though. Maybe I can pick up some tips to improve my technique," Suki gushed. Takumi could practically see the hearts floating in the air. His cousin was obsessed with cars, had been since birth. He often wondered if that was why she never had a boyfriend, using all her love on the cars she fixed up on the side.

Maybe bringing her to the race would be a good start to prying her out of her shell.

(\ /)

(·_·)

Keisuke sighed in boredom, leaning against his FD and wishing the race had started already. Tonight's ace was between Takumi and some new guy from Usui. Acing on Akagi was almost as bad for Takumi's opponent as racing on Akina. The Eight Six's abilities and course knowledge far surpassed that of any local driver. In a couple of months, he would be at the tryouts for a pro team that had been very persistent in their recruiting efforts.

The sound of the Eight Six's engine reached Keisuke's ears and the headlights swung around the nearest corner. To his surprise, the lilac GS-T was hot on Takumi's tail. What was Suki doing here? Keisuke watched as she pulled off to the side, heard the excited murmurs of the gathered males as she exited the vehicle. The mini-skirt she wore flaunted perfectly toned, porcelain legs. Short though she was, the black stilettos she had on made her legs seem impossibly long.

Keisuke swallowed thickly. What the hell was wrong with him? A twinge went through him as the girl caught up with Takumi and gave him a tight hug. He didn't want to analyze the feeling, so he pushed it as far back in his mind as possible.

"Who is the girl with Fujiwara?" Ryousuke asked from behind him.

"He name is Suki O'Malley. Half-foreigner; she just moved here from America." Keisuke knew his brother was mentally filing this information. Ryousuke would probably run a background check on her when they returned home.

"Is she Takumi's girlfriend?" Ryousuke's question set Keisuke's teeth on edge. He shrugged in response. "Suki O'Malley," his bother mused aloud.

Suki's head snapped up, almost of if she heard her name being called, azure eyes colliding with Keisuke's gaze. A hundred-watt smile lit upon her features. "Hi Keisuke-kun!" Her voice was clear across the distance, and had several people glancing between her and himself. Takumi looked slightly startled, following her gaze, then tuned back and said something to her. Suki nodded and Keisuke watched her lips move in reply. _That closeness of theirs is getting annoying,_ Keisuke thought darkly.

Takumi got back in the Trueno, pulling the car to the start line. Suki wound her way through the crowd until she was standing right in front of him. Her perfume wafted to him on the light spring breeze, ensnaring his senses and clouding his mind. She smelled like sin. How long had it been since he's last been with a woman? Six months? He told himself that had to be the reason he was reacting to he presence so strongly.

Suki watched Keisuke watching her, a pleasant shiver running down her spine. _Just because I can appreciate an attractive man, doesn't necessarily mean I have to touch, _she reasoned. And boy, Keisuke was definitely prime. He towered over her somewhere around one hundred and eighty-two centimeters, and she could tell by his broad shoulders that he was strong.

"Hello again, Suki-chan. What brings you here?" she heard him ask, his deep voice causing her heart to flutter. She decided to cover it up with sass.

"Besides your pretty face, Keisuke-kun? All the sexy _cars_," she breathed, all ready imagining getting her hands onto a tuned road racer car. Auto mechanics was the love of her life after all.

Keisuke watched Suki's eyes glaze slightly, the pupils dilating. She must have forgotten him temporarily, for she jumped at his soft chuckle. She grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, I start thinking motors and everything else kinda gets forgotten. I'm also here to see how well my air headed cousin can drive."

"Takumi is your cousin?" Keisuke heard Ryousuke's voice, still behind him. Suki leaned around him slightly to see who the voice belonged to.

"Yes, he's my old cousin by two years. My name is Suki."

"Ryousuke Takahashi. It's a pleasure to meet you, miss," Ryousuki replied, stepping up next to Keisuke. Keisuke didn't like the gleam of interest that was hovering in his brother's usually apathic eyes.

"So you're Keisuke-kun's brother?" Suki's eyes bounced between the two before settling back on Ryousuke. She smiled impishly. "I guess that would explain why you are both so good looking."

Keisuke choked, startled.

Ryousuke looked at Keisuke, a rare, amused smile gracing his features. "Blunt, isn't she?"

"It would seem, Bro," Keisuke replied, just as amused about her brazenness as his brother. Suki blushed lightly. It definitely suited her, unlike a lot of girls.

"I can't help it. American," she pointed to herself. "Hey Keisuke?" she asked, widening her eyes slightly, "If I show you my car, may I please look at yours? I'm absolutely going crazy with so many awesome cars around and not able to touch any. Please?" She pouted slightly, using the face that had gotten her exactly what she wanted most of her life. She hoped it wouldn't lead her astray this time.

Keisuke sighed. He really hated strangers touching his car, but he _was_ curious about what was under the hood of the Eclipse, and Suki did look kinda cute…Suki made a purring sound at his acceptance, making Keisuke think more about sex than cars. Why the hell was his mind constantly in the gutter today?

Suki had grabbed his hand and was tugging him toward her GS-T. When was the last time someone had held his hand? When they reached the ca, lilac color washed silver by the moonlight, Keisuke stood transfixed at the design on the hood of the car. It must have taken someone a lot of time and skill to finish.

In varying shades of purple, Pascal's _Eros and Psyche_ was painted onto the hood. Suki stood beside him, watching his reaction.

"You like it?" she asked quietly.

"Very much," he replied. "Not my style, but I appreciate when something is well done. Who did the rendition?"

"I did," Suki replied, popping the hood. As she popped it open, she continued, "I love to paint, but this was a bit ridiculous, I'll admit. I worked on it for three days. I got so deep into my head that I even forgot to sleep. I worried my parents horribly. They thought I was on some dangerous drug or something. How pathetic is that, that I didn't have anything better to do?" She chortled at herself.

"Sounds like you love your car," Keisuke murmured to her, taking not of the beands she like best for pats and the fact that the whole system was gold-colored chrome. It was so clean, Keisuke guessed that she wiped the parts down at least twice a week.

"I do. It's more of a show car than anything, but its tuned pretty well for drifting."

"Show?" he queried.

"Yeah, back home there are traveling circuits where people bring the best looking cars to win in aesthetic competitions. It's the only way I could convince my mother to let me get the car. But there is no better feeling than winning, so I made my car the most attractive one in my home state," she claimed proudly.

_She's quite passionate. I wonder…_ Keisuke shook the question away before it had a chance to fully form. "Sound like your mom is very strict," he commented absently. His parents had always been distant, and as long as their sons didn't bring shame to the family name, they didn't really care what the two did in their spare time. "Hey, what kind of engine is that? I haven't seen one like that before."

Suki waved a finger his direction. "It's custom built, but you don't get to know the specs yet. And my mother wasn't strict so much as …traditional. I'm too wild for her liking."

"Why can't I know yet?" Keisuke asked, while what he really wanted to say was, _How wild?_

"You have yet to race me. Only those who win against me in a drift can know what my car is made of," she teased.

"Well, we'll have to fix that soon, won't we?" Keisuke never backed down from a challenge. "What about tomorrow night? You aren't doing anything, are you? We can even race on Akina, since you aren't very familiar with the course and I've only been there a handful of times. Does that seem fair to you?"

Suki nodded in agreement. "It's a date. Now, we had a deal. Time for me to get a look at your sexy FD." She didn't wait for him, but Keisuke followed obediently behind her, watching her sashay around in that little skit and ridiculously high heels, the words _"It's a date,"_ ringing around in his brain. Suki waited impatiently for him to pop the latch, bending to inspect the guts of the car closely.

"Very nice," she hummed, so quiet it almost didn't reach his ears. He couldn't help but to agree, albeit to the view he currently had rather than his favorite car. Suki's all ready short skirt rode a bit higher, showing a tiny sliver of red lace panties. A quiet, strangled moan, barely audible, escaped his lips.

Suki turned to look up at him, eyes innocent. "Is something wrong, Keisuke-kun?" Keisuke narrowed his gaze when he realized she was acting _too_ innocent. The woman knew exactly what she was doing.

"Minx," he hissed through his teeth, watching the innocent act fall away, replaced by a mischievous grin. Her fiery hair tumbled over her shoulders in loose curls, and Suki's blue orbs danced with primal awareness. Oh yeah, did she ever know what she was doing to him. The sounds of revving engines caught their attention. The Eight Six and the Toyota Altezza lined up, Kenta all ready starting the countdown.

"…Three, Two, One, GO!"

Both cars peeled off the line and toward the first corner at top speed, Takumi falling behind as they disappeared from view.. Suki laughed to herself. If there was one thing a racer didn't want to do, it was let Takumi Fujiwara follow them. He would find the weak point and blow them out of the water. She turned to Keisuke. "Guess I'm going. I'm going to chase them to the bottom so that I won't have to wait. The bane of being impatient, I guess. See you tomorrow, Keisuke-kun!"

"Hey, Suki!" He called after her a moment too late; she was all ready speeding down the mountain after the other two racers.

How the hell was he supposed to get ahold of her, if need be?

(\ /)

(·_·)

Suki hummed along with the radio in the best mood she'd been in since moving to this country. She had seen the way Keisuke looked at her when he thought her attention was elsewhere. It caused pleasant shivers just thinking about it.

She wasn't sure what it was about him, but Keisuke made her feel safe, and as if she had known him years rather than a day. If she wasn't careful, the fire she was trying to stoke could reach out and burn her heart.

(\ /)

(·_·)

**Okay, so I know this is going a little fast, but you will understand why within the next couple of chapters. Plus, although in Japan things are done with a bit more discretion, Suki is American at heart. Hence, Keisuke likes her 'cause she's different. Ja ne!**


	3. Scene 3

**A/N: Okay, first off, I want to apologize for my last chapter. The 'r' key on my keyboard was acting up, and as such, some of the words were missing them. The words that were formed actually were legitimate words, just wrong, so the spell check didn't pick them up. However, I am far too lazy and busy to go back and fix it, so you'll just have to forgive me and move on. Here is chapter three, with the 'r' key fixed, and I'm pretty sure everything is correct. Enjoy!**

**xx**

**Irish**

(\ /)

(·_·)

**(\ /)**

** (·_·)**

Keisuke punched his pillow in frustration. It was only seven in the morning, and he couldn't see her for another fifteen hours, but he was still too revved up on adrenaline to sleep. He sighed, rolling over onto his back and staring at the ceiling, pretending like he hadn't come home alone last night, and that there was a petite, curvy redhead in his bed next to him. At least then the sexual frustration would cease and he would be able to think straight.

A soft knock on his door brought him abruptly out of his daydream.

"Yeah?" He answered, a tad annoyed and trying to hold onto the fantasy.

Ryousuke entered, stepping into the room and navigating carefully around the object lying on the floor. He held a manila folder in one hand, Suki's name written in Sharpie on the cover. That caught Keisuke's attention.

"What's that?" He asked, indicating the file.

Ryousuke handed it to him. "I ran a search on Miss O'Malley. She looks like your average girl just out of the schoolroom, but some of the things I found on her sully her squeaky-clean appearance. Take a look. I figured that if you like a girl enough to let her touch the FD, then you should at least know all you can about her before you fall head-over-heels for her. Try not to be too impulsive, Keisuke." Ryousuki left the room quickly, negating any response Keisuke may have come up with.

He stared at the folder in his hands , torn between his curiosity and his burgeoning trust in the enigma known as Suki. Eventually, curiosity won out; he flipped open the cover and began to read.

His eyes widened with every new line in the report.

(\ /)

(·_·)

Suki was humming tunelessly, dancing a bit as she swept the walkway outside the Fujiwara Tofu Shop. She hadn't slept a wink, and as a last ditch (and almost desperate) effort at remaining semi-normal, she had stocked up on energy drinks at the local convenience store. Little had she known that she would be riding a five hour sugar high on top of the caffeine boost.

A song popped into her head, and she began to sing aloud to the popular American tune.

"Pour some sugar on me, in the name of love…" She twirled with the broom, performing a complicated step with her feet. She waved to her uncle as he left in his WRX, probably to go visit his friend that owned the gas station a few blocks away. "I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet, yeah…"

"That sounds like an interesting song, and from the little English I know, pretty suggestive. Seriously, are you always this impulsive and reckless?"

Suki spun at the sound of Keisuke's voice behind her. He was leaning against the building, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette. "For Christ's sake, Keisuke-kun, could you please try _not _to give me a stroke before I'm twenty-five? Once I start getting wrinkles, then we'll talk."

He chuckled at her.

"Glad you think it's funny," she grumbled. "I was dead serious. Hey, got any more of those?" She indicated his cigarette. Keisuke raised an eyebrow but fished one out of his pack and handed it to her. She took a drag and exhaled slowly. It had been a while since she'd last had one, and it was a habit she was continually trying to kick…but that was gonna start next week.

"What's up? You stalk me all the way here to turn my hair gray prematurely?"

"Nah, that's just a fun perk. I actually wanted to see if you were free to talk for a minute."

Suki made a big show of looking around her. "As you can see sir, we are currently very busy at this here establishment." She grinned conspiratorially. "But if you hurry in, I'm sure I could find some spare time in a pocket or drawer for you." She ducked back into the shop, tossing the cigarette in the receptacle and not looking to see if he followed suit.

She led him into the family portion of the building, sitting down at the traditional _chabudai._Keisuke sat across from her.

"I don't know exactly what to make of you," he confessed. "Your personality is completely different from any girl I have ever known, your conversations are convoluted and topsy-turvy, not to mention that what little you've told me about yourself and the records my brother pulled on you have left me with more questions than answers."

Suki's heart started thumping uncomfortably in her chest when Keisuke mentioned his brother digging into her past. "He had no right to do that. What is in my past is private information." _I must be masochistic for asking but… _"What exactly did he find on me that has you in such a tizzy?"

"Tizzy?"

"Yeah, I'm American. I use strange slang. Get used to it."

Keisuke scrubbed a hand through his spiky hair. "Mostly stuff that would be on a rap sheet. Assault, petty theft, that kind of stuff. There was this one news article though that bothered me. It alleged that you were involved in a murder, one that was because of a gang war."

Yup, he'd found the one thing she was hoping to leave behind. "Well, if that bothers you, then you'd best start running for the hills, Kei-kun." She stared into his eyes, hard, daring him to do so. When he didn't, she continued, "I may look all sweet and innocent, but I haven't had the easiest of lives by any means. Drugs, assault, stealing, it was all part of the game where I come from. You want to survive in the urban jungle, you gotta join the biggest and baddest lion pride there is. But, from what I hear about you, this shouldn't be anything to be getting that upset over."

This time it was Keisuke's turn to blanch. He repeated her earlier question back at her. "What exactly did you find out about me?"

"Not much. Takumi doesn't like to gossip, you know that. Just that you are the son of doctors, rich, and used to hang with a rough crowd yourself, and that you were the leader of said clique. I'm guessing that he was being kind in his phrasing?"

"Yes."

"So," Suki sighed, leaning her cheek into the palm of her hand and watching him. "Where does that leave us?"

"Well, I know it leaves me with more questions than I came with, but oddly enough, you've eased my mind. Maybe it's your honesty," Keisuke mused. He copied her pose and gave her a rakish grin. "But that also leaves us with a race tonight that I have no intention of losing."

"What do I get if, by some miracle, I beat you?"

"Huh?"

"Go with it, I'm trying to make this more interesting for me. I'm not a racer, really. My skill is lacking, so I need motivation to make up for lacking the skill."

"Um, you can…tinker on my FD next time it needs tuning?'

He was hesitant, he wasn't sure that he wanted that as the wager, but was rewarded when Suki's eyes lit up and a giddy giggle escaped her lips. _Luscious lips that I want to have…Stop it!_ Keisuke dislodged the thought, though it was becoming increasingly harder. "But, if I win, I get your services, for whatever I want for three hours."

Suki agreed, too caught up in the fantasy of the FD's motor to really pay attention to Keisuke's part of the bet.

"See you at ten, Suki-chan." Keisuke escaped before the suggestion of his winnings crashed down around her head. As he was getting into the RX-7, he swore he heard her cursing his name. He laughed.


	4. Scene 4

**(\ /)**

**(·_·)**

Takumi pulled up to his father's tofu shop, and immediately heard cursing coming from around the corner of the building. Assuming by the female tone of the voice, and the English mixed with the Japanese, it was common sense to guess that his cousin was in a bad mood. When Suki was in a bad mood, she tinkered on her car. He followed the sound of her voice and clangs of metal hitting metal.

Suki was leaning down under the hood of her car, doing God-knew-what to the poor engine, her denim cut-offs revealing more of her pale thighs than they covered and her t-shirt starting to ride, exposing the small of her back.

"You keep dressing like that, and you are going to give the old guy across the street a heart attack," Takumi stated after silently approaching. Apparently, he had startled his younger cousin, as she jumped and slammed her head off the hood.

"Dammit, Taku-chan! That hurt!" She rubbed the sore spot on her scalp, gently probing to make sure the skin didn't split.

He ignored her. "What are you doing?" Now that he was closer, he saw that she had her whole toolbox out on the ground, smeared with grease and dust up to her elbows and a small smudge on one cheek. She must have been at it for a while – whatever it was she was up to.

Suki picked her monkey wrench up off the ground where she had dropped it and leaned back down over the motor. "None of your business, Taku-gaki nee-san. If you must know, I'm cleaning Thisbe's motor and tuning for my race against Keisuke-kun tonight. My laptop is hooked up inside the cab to help make minor computer adjustments and project outcomes of the engine tweaks I make."

"Thisbe?"

"The car, that's her name; Thisbe. It's a Greek name that means 'lover', as in my car is better to me than any boyfriend could be," Suki replied, sounding slightly bitter by the end of the statement.

"Whatever. You are so troublesome sometimes."

"Stupid cousin! Go visit your father inside and leave the adults to their work."

**(\ /)**

**(·_·)**

Suki threw on her baggiest university sweatpants and a ribbed tank top. She wanted to be as comfortable as possible so that she could concentrate fully on her driving. But she had to attend to more important matters first. Like dinner.

Not ten minutes later found Suki and Takumi at Family's, with the girl's eyes wide as saucers and desiring everything on the menu.

"You'll get fat if you eat as much as you want," Takumi warned her as he sipped his soda.

Suki glared at him. "I'll eat what I damn well please and still be stunning. It's my good genetics. Beauty, brains, a nice body and a wonderful personality; obviously, they skipped over _you_ entirely." They spent the next hour bickering back and forth as if they were siblings instead of cousins, Suki polishing off her four cheeseburgers, fries, milkshake, _and _half of Takumi's plate of chicken tenders.

"I'm nervous," she admitted quietly. "I've never raced someone as skilled as Keisuke is before. You know how I hate losing." She chuckled at herself for a moment, and opened her eyes in surprise when Takumi patted her gently on the head.

"You've got heart, you'll do just fine."

"Of course, what was I thinking? If you can beat him, my obviously superior genetics can't possibly lose."

"…."

**(\ /)**

**(·_·)**

**A/N: Hello lovely readers! O genki desu ka? So, this is short, and it's a filler chapter, but I am back! Yay me! Life has been messy and crappy since the last update, but things are looking better, so look forward for another update soon!**

**Xoxo**

**Irish**


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